Clasp



A. H. BARTLEY.

CLASP.

No. 489,888. Page8888 008. 28, 1880.

[nz/enfan- @@QWM? 'ma News 9:1185 cn., mmunm., msnmmcn, n. c

UNITED STATES 'PATENT' OFFICE.

AUGUSTUS H. BARTLEY, OF BARTLEY, NEW JERSEY.

o I As P.

SPECIFICATION forming part 0f Letters Patent No. 439,288, dated October 28, 1890. Application filed January 30,1890. Serial No. 338,629. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, AUGUSTUS H. BARTLEY, of Bartley, in the county of Morris and State of New Jersey, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Clasps for Horse- Blankets, of which the following is a specification.

My improvement relates to means for secur' ing a blanket upon a horse after the latter has been harnessed in such manner as to prevent the blanket from sliding or being accidentally removed from the horse.

, I will describe my improvement in detail, and then point out the novel features in claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure lis a perspective view of a clasp embodying my improvement. Fig. 2 is a vertical section of the same, taken on the line a: .'13, Fig. 3. Fig. 3 is a plan or top view of the same. Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 2, but showing a modiiication.

Similar letters of reference designate correspending parts in all the figures.

A clasp embodying my improvement is composed of two parts A B. Each of these parts has a iianged portion a, provided with suitable apertures a, whereby the clasp may be riveted to a blanket C, a portion of which is shown more clearly in Fig. 2. Inward of the flanged portions athe clasp is bifurcated. Two of the bifurcated portions h b', or those at the upper side of the clasp, are hinged together at their ends by a hinged joint D.

In the example of my improvement shown in Figs. 1 and 2 the bifurcat-ed portions c c of the clasp interlock when the clasp is closed, or, in other words, when it occupies the position which is intended it shall occupy when the blanket is upon the horse. The means which I have shown for causing the interlockY ing of the parts c c consists of a spring-catch, which spring-catch is formed in this instance by bending 'upwardly the outer end of the portion c' and bending the portion c near its outer end into the form of a hook c2, which hook when the two parts are brought together will be sprung over the bent-up end of the portion c', and will be retained thereby. The portion c has sufficient resilience to admit of being sprung over and away from the portion c.

E designates a portion of a back-strap of the harness for a horse. When the blanket is placed upon the horse, it will of course hang down at the sidesA of the horse. This will cause the clasp to be closed, as shown, and if in being closed the portions c c of the clasp be passed beneath the back-strap they will inclose the latter hinged portions b b. The blanket will thus be retained in position upon the horse, and its sliding off or accidental displacement will be prevented.

The example of my improvement shown 1n Fig. 4 is like that shown in Figs. 1 and 2, except that the portions c c of the clasp do not interlock.

To remove the blanket from the horse, it is but necessary to lift up one or both sides of the blanket, and the clasp will readily detach itself from the back-strap.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. The herein-described clasp, consisting of two bifurcated members having the ends of their branches disposed toward each other, the meeting ends of two corresponding branches being hinged together and the other two corresponding branches having a movement away from and toward each other as the members of the clasp are folded backwardlyuponA their hinge-connection or swung forwardly into extended adjustment, each of the said members being provided with a seat for aV fastening devicel by means of which the two members may be permanently secured to the article to be held when the latter is disposed in proximity to the outer face of the hinged branches, substantially as set forth.

2. The clasp consisting of two bifurcated members having two corresponding branches hinged together and other two corresponding branches formed of spring metal and provided with interlocking lips, substantially as set forth.

AUGUSTUS Irl. BARTLEY.

Witnesses: l

HENRY T. BROWN, FREDK. HAYNEs.

between themselves and the 

